We finally signed the closing documents on our most recent mortgage refinance. We ended up going through the same local mortgage broker who linked us up with Provident Funding, which is apparently one of the largest private lenders in the country. … [Read the rest]
Provident Funding Mortgage Refinance Review
Posted on June 28, 2012 // 63 Comments
Last updated: April 29, 2014
Exxon Mobil Speedpass Mastercard Promotion: Save 10 Cents a Gallon
Posted on June 25, 2012 // 6 Comments
Exxon Mobil and Mastercard have a promotion where if you link your Mastercard to a Speedpass, you'll get 10 cents off per gallon from 6/1/12 to 8/31/12. Good at any Exxon or Mobil, up to 100 gallons total. Rebates will be credited in October … [Read the rest]
Last updated: October 7, 2012
S&P Persistence Scorecard: Don’t Pick Mutual Funds Based on Past Performance
Posted on June 25, 2012 // 6 Comments
It is very tempting to invest in an actively-managed mutual fund that has above-average returns. Why would you invest in the ones with below-average returns? However, there's something behind the whole "past performance does not guarantee future … [Read the rest]
Last updated: June 25, 2012
Lending Club vs. Prosper Experiment: Which Has The Highest Returns?
Posted on June 22, 2012 // 36 Comments
I've decided to invest $10,000 in Prosper and Lending Club to compare their performance as an investment. Putting $5,000 in each will allow me to invest in 200 loans at $25 a piece, so that each loan will only be 0.5% of each respective portfolio. … [Read the rest]
Last updated: August 2, 2017
Which Fuel-Efficient Cars Are Worth The Extra Money?
Posted on June 21, 2012 // 28 Comments
Recently, the NY Times had an article about how many models of fuel-efficient cars may take years to justify the extra cost. Here's a graphic from the article with data from TrueCar: (I note that the NY Times compares the Prius with the … [Read the rest]
Last updated: August 9, 2018
New 401k Fee Disclosure Requirement Summary
Posted on June 19, 2012 // 6 Comments
New 401(k) plan fee disclosure requirements from the US Department of Labor are coming soon. This includes defined benefit, 401(k), 403(b), profit sharing, and other retirement plans. I was getting confused myself, so I wanted to summarize some of … [Read the rest]
Last updated: August 9, 2018
Reflections on Fathers and Fatherhood
Posted on June 15, 2012 // 9 Comments
I've been thinking about fatherhood and my own father/son relationship. When I was young, my father was a comfortably-employed engineer, with two small kids and a house in the suburbs. But he decided that he wanted to go back to graduate school. … [Read the rest]
Last updated: June 15, 2012
Zipcar $25 Free Driving Credit Offer
Posted on June 13, 2012 // 6 Comments
ZipCar is a membership-based car-sharing company that lets you rent cars by the hour (gas + insurance included) in many metro areas and college campuses. It can be good deal for those thinking about having one less car in your household (or who … [Read the rest]
Last updated: August 9, 2018
Haggle To Lower Your Cable or Direct TV Satellite Bill
Posted on June 13, 2012 // 190 Comments
I've written several times about the significant savings you can achieve if you haggle with your media providers like DirecTV, be it broadband internet, telephone, or cable/satellite TV. A simple phone call can save you hundreds of dollars per year. … [Read the rest]
Last updated: September 28, 2015
Scottrade Review: Trading Experience & Tips (Updated 2012)
Posted on June 11, 2012 // 14 Comments
I've had an account with Scottrade for several years now, and here is an updated, in-depth review for 2012 (last one I did was in 2006!). I will focus on all the little things that make brokers different from each other, from completing your taxes to … [Read the rest]
Last updated: April 1, 2015
Free Priority Club Points Via Survey (Up to 500)
Posted on June 8, 2012 // 2 Comments
Here are a few short surveys that offer some free Priority Club hotel rewards points. They may not all work for everyone, but if they do work the points will post instantly to your account. You'll need to provide your Priority Club number and … [Read the rest]
Last updated: January 28, 2013
Opt Out of Citibank Balance Transfer Checks By Mail
Posted on June 5, 2012 // 21 Comments
Maybe it's just me, but Citibank has been sending me more and more snail mail with balance transfer checks inside. I can recognize the envelopes without even opening them. Even though in the past there may have been a good no-fee 0% APR balance … [Read the rest]
Last updated: June 5, 2012
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